Latino kids are less likely than White kids to meet federal recommendations of at least 60 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per day. The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), which works with the private sector and PHA Honorary Chair First Lady Michelle Obama to end the childhood obesity epidemic, announced in late February that two of the nation’s largest providers of low-cost or free out-of-school time activities have committed to create healthier environments for five million kids in their programs, many of which are Latino. Over the next five years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) have committed to encouraging 5,400 sites and Clubs nationwide to adopt strong standards for nutrition and ...
The Alliance for a Healthier Generation has launched it's Smart Snacks Product Calculator. This tool makes it easy for individuals or schools to evaluate products based on the new USDA Smart Snacks in School Guidelines. The user can simply enter the product information, answer a few questions, and the calculator will determine whether your snack, side or entrée item meets the new USDA Smart Snacks in School Guidelines. Results from this calculator have been approved and determined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to be an accurate product assessment for it's compliance with the federal requirements for Smart Snacks in School. In addition to the calculator, the Alliance Product Navigator now features snack, side, entrée and beverage products that meet the USDA ...
School Bites, a blog about bringing more healthy food into the school system, provides tips on having less junk food in the classroom on Valentines Day. Together the two healthy Valentine's Day posts include 27 unique ideas of how to incorporate healthier foods like fruits, vegetables, smoothies, and water into the classroom parties. There are also suggestions for active games to play during the day, like Musical Hearts or Valentine's Hopscotch. These activites can get kids moving, having fun, and thinking less about the sugary snacks that traditionally provided during classroom parties. These ideas are complied from her network of school-health blogs and ideas from other concerned parents. See the 2014 guide 12 Naturally Sweet Ideas for a Healthy School Valentine’s Day ...
The Alliance for a Healthier Generation has teamed up with the Boys and Girls Club of America to improve the health and wellness of kids in out-of-school time settings. In this new initiative, leading food companies and purchasing organizations have agreed to extend the discounts and services they offer schools, to out-of-school time programs. Participating food companies have agreed to offer healthy foods that meet the Alliance for a Healthier Generation guidelines and USDA nutrition standards at prices no higher than comparable products that are less healthy. Along with these price adjustments, out-of-school time programs could save 10 – 20 percent on their food and beverage purchasing. More than 15% of American youth are involved in after-school programs and ...
After-school programs are great ways for kids to get active after school and to try new things. But sometimes the snacks provided aren't the healthiest. Healthy Kids Out of School, an initiative of ChildObesity180 in collaboration with Tufts University, has put together some tips on how programs can partner with food stores to get fresh, healthy snacks to hungry kids. Learn how you can build a partnership to help kids snack smart while
staying within your ...
After-school programs are a great way for kids to learn new things, get ahead on school work, and just play around with friends. However, some after-school program leaders say they don't always have access to healthy, energizing snacks to hand out to hungry children. Some researchers at the Tufts University hope to change that. The Snack It Up pilot program was created by Healthy Kids Out of School, an initiative of ChildObesity180 at Tufts University in Medford, MA. Snack it Up connects selected out-of-school program with grocery providers to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables for area children who participate in out-of-school activities. The Dallas-Fort Worth area, where Latinos make up 20% of the population, has been chosen as one of the pilot locations ...
In San Francisco, a group of pediatric residents decided to create their own running program to help kids stay active. As one can imagine medical residents can often have hectic schedules and find it difficult to give back to the community. This group of physicians proved that it is possible to bring physical activity to a kids in need by partnering with other groups and without having to start from scratch. A 2008 publication in Pediatrics in Review entitled Pediatrics in the Community: The Beacon Burners Running Program: Empowering Kids to Run Round and Round Without Reinventing the Wheel, details how medical doctors went about establishing a running program for kids at risk for obesity in the San Francisco area. The group partnered with a local elementary school, non-profit groups, ...
A recent study has found that unhealthy food, or junk food, is being marketed to young children in Guatemala and sold in stores located near urban schools. This study found 55 stores within 200 square meters of four public schools, two preschool and two elementary, and accessed what snack foods were being sold. There were 2334 snack food packages total, 826 of which were considered child-oriented. A total of 106 snack items were purchased for further assessment in the study. There was at least one snack food marketed directly for children in each of the 55 stores. The most common method of marketing to children found on these snacks were promotional characters, making up 92.5% of the products, made up of brand-specific characters, cartoon characters, and creatures/animals. Most of the ...
Fourth and fifth grade students in a predominantly Latino neighborhood get extra physical activity time thanks to a partnership with Texas Tech. The Active Character program led by Jeff Key M.Ed. provides coaches in training from Texas Tech with the opportunity to teach students from McWhorter elementary the basic skills required to play sports like soccer, as well lessons on respect and ...
